Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) announced that it held a naming ceremony on September 10, 2026, at Hanwha Ocean Co., Ltd.’s Geoje Shipyard in South Korea for the world’s first LNG carrier that equipped with two units of Wind Challenger, Hard sail wind-assisted propulsion system.
The vessel will be delivered under a long-term charter contract to Chevron Corporation (Chevron) at the end of September 2026. The Wind Challenger system is expected to reduce fuel consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional propulsion alone.
The vessel was formally named FUJIN SAILOR by Ms. Molly T. Laegeler, President of Chevron’s Supply & Trading business and the vessel’s Godmother.
The FUJIN SAILOR is a large membrane-type vessel with an overall length of 294.9 meters and a breadth of 46.4 meters, featuring a tank capacity of 174,000 m³. It is equipped with an ME-GA main engine and incorporates several environmental mitigation devices, including two units of Wind Challenger, an Air Lubrication System, and a Shaft Generator. The vessel is being constructed by Hanwha Ocean and will be managed by MOL Global Ship Management Pte. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of MOL.
The vessel is the world’s first LNG carrier equipped with a wind-assisted propulsion system, and also the world’s first vessel of any type equipped with two Wind Challenger units, and the fourth of a total of eleven MOL Group vessels that have been or will be equipped with the Wind Challenger. The vessel represents a significant milestone in the application of wind-assisted propulsion technology to LNG transportation and reflects the collaborative efforts of MOL, Chevron and Hanwha Ocean to bring practical maritime innovation from concept to commercial operation.
Makoto Inomoto, Managing Executive Officer responsible for LNG and Ethane Business, MOL said, “FUJIN SAILOR plays a vital role in ensuring a stable energy supply while advancing efforts to reduce the environmental impact of LNG shipping. Through the installation of wind-assisted propulsion technology, this vessel represents a new milestone in innovation of LNG carriers and is expected to contribute to the greater integration of new technologies to support GHG management in LNG transportation.”